Outdoor Research Maestro Down Jacket - Men's

I was looking for a down jacket to keep me warm on frigid summits. I ordered the Maestro and the MH Kelvinator.

Fit: The Maestro was very big/loose on me. A size Large (6'1", 195) swamped me. The hood covered my eyes and overall just felt way too big. The fit on the Kelvinator was spot on and quite a bit more athletic. The non-zippered front pockets were also a downside on the OR product. The sleeve cuffs have elastic on the Maestro where the Kelvinator has elastic and velcro straps. Compared to the MH jacket, the Maestro just wasn't what I was looking for.

This puffy traps your body heat like a greenhouse. Blazing hot! Whip it out of your pack at chilly times and feel the warmth instantly. Nothing stores body heat better then lofty down, and when your stationary, every bit of warmth helps.

I got this jacket mainly for winter splitboard camping. So i love the stash/pillow pocket- 2 birds with 1 stone! I also live in a super old house in which we rarely run the heating, but really there is no need for heating if you own a Maestro Down! This thing provides insane warmth... Get one today and cut your heating bills in half- no joke!

I'm the type of person who makes calculated and researched decisions. That guy who will literally make a spreadsheet when narrowing down my choices. Lets face it, throwing down a few hundred bucks on a piece of gear that will directly effect your comfort should be a thought out process. I did my homework on this jacket, and have been rewarded with lofty warmth.

This jacket fit the bill for me. Lite enough I won't worry about carrying it and warm enough I can enjoy alpine adventures or cold belays.

As a bonus, this is a good looking jacket. Not too shiny, isn't overly "marshmellowish" and doesn't have some weird baffle design.

It's kept me warm so far with minimal effort into the 30's (F). Winter is almost here, and I have no doubt I'll be happy on sub-freezing mountains and long belays.

Had to swap a Medium for a Small. I have a 38-39" chest, 5'10 155lbs and long arms. Small fits great, and I can still layer. Arms are a good length. Hood fits nicely over my head, but can also expand to fit over a helmet.

Pillow pocket, while not necessary, is a nice touch and is surprisingly comfortable.

Thanks OR

This jacket fits big. I'm 5'10" 140 lbs and can throw this on over everything - including my pack. Is it the perfect belay jacket? - that depends on your needs. I like down over synthetic most of the time. This jacket is highly compressible(even though it stashes into itself, it's better to put it in a small bag for packing), and pretty water resistant. I wouldn't use it on a week-long winter expedition. For everything else under that - it's perfect. Insanely warm and light. Super-comfy.

The blue color is great, not so shiny when you wear it.
It's pocket can put it like a small bag, it's easy to take out.

This seems like an awesome jacket, but I returned it because the hand warmer pockets did not have zippers. 1. you cant stash anything in them, and 2. I imagine in windy conditions that the wind would blow into them. I know its a small detail, but a dealbreaker for me with so many other good jackets out there to choose from.